


Strays stick together

by tadok0ro



Series: Cole's Cat [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cole is an angel and everyone is his parent, Gen, very self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2014-12-12
Packaged: 2018-03-01 03:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2757245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tadok0ro/pseuds/tadok0ro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"His first pet! What a heartwarming moment of family bonding!" Dorian pretends to dab tears away from his eyes. "They grow up so fast. It seems just like yesterday it was his first murder."</p><p>Cole finds a stray animal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strays stick together

**Author's Note:**

> This is incredibly self indulgent, I'm sorry.

They're in Crestwood, the ground still sopping wet and slippery from the storm that just passed and the Inquisitor's made an unfortunate misstep on the way down a muddy hill and ended up with her ankle swollen and stinging. They find a patch of rocks- damp, but preferable to the mud- to patch her up. Varric prepares wraps for her ankle while Dorian soothes the swelling with a gentle stream of cold magic, they don't notice Cole wandering away.

When they finish helping the Inquisitor, they turn to see Cole holding a very damp and ratty looking cat. Cole's somehow covered in mud, too.

"Cole..." the Inquisitor stares and blinks. "What did you do."

"The cat was hurting." His fingers brush through the matted fur. "I tripped and it could see me. It wants to stay with me."

Dorian helps Lavellan to her feet, throws her arm over his shoulder to support her for the trek back to camp.

"You want to bring it back with us to Skyhold?" Varric asks. "Kid, I don't think that's a good place to keep a cat."

"It wants to stay with me. It doesn't mind the cold, either."

"I'm telling you, it's not a good idea..."

"He liked cats, too." Cole's gazing down at the cat, scratching behind its ears gently. "They remind you of him. Cats congregate in the clinic as if they're called, summoned. Sick and sad and hurts of all kinds. One lays curled against the chest of a dying man. _Condition is failing, I could have saved him_ , shame and regret, another sleepless night. He thinks the man is in pain, but the cat... the cat purrs and the man dies with a smile on his face. That was before he did bad things."

Varric sighs. "I'd ask you to stop doing that, but I know that will only make you drudge up more."

"If you ask me, Cassandra could have used Cole back when you were her prisoner, Varric," Dorian chimes in with a smirk. "Think of all the dirty little secrets and minute details he could've dug up for her!"

"Ha. Ha. Like Cole would have helped her in the first place. Right, kid?"

Cole is focused on the cat still. "Is that why you don't like cats anymore, Varric? Because they remind you of your friend?"

Varric sighs, rubs the crease in his brow. "Nevermind..."

"I don't see the harm in letting him keep it," the Inquisitor murmurs. Cole visibly perks up at the words, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"His first pet! What a heartwarming moment of family bonding!" Dorian pretends to dab tears away from his eyes. " _'Mummy Inquisitor? Can I keep the kitty cat, pleeeeeeease? I'll take care of it. I'll feed and clean up after it. Oh, please mummy Inquisitor?'_ , 'Oh of course, my sweet child, let's go take it all the way back to our charming little fortress in the middle of snowy mountains while a war is going on!'" He sighs, "They grow up so fast. It seems just like yesterday it was his first murder."

The Inquisitor smacks him on the chest with her free arm, halfheartedly glaring at him. She turns back to Cole, his eyes wide, bright and shining. She can't resist. "Alright Cole, bring it along. Just... make sure it doesn't cause too much trouble."

"I do hope this doesn't become a habit of his," Dorian says as he spears the ground with the end of his staff. "Just imagine the menagerie Skyhold would become if it did."

"Animals help boost morale at least..."

"For you, maybe. _My_ morale is directly impacted by every strand of cat fur that may find its way onto my robes." Another smack.

The group makes a slow trek to the nearest camp, speed impeded not just by the wounded Inquisitor. Cole trails behind slowly, taking careful, steady steps to make sure he doesn't trip or slip with the cat cradled carefully in his arms.

"Hello, I'm Cole." The cat meows at him. "You're safe now, I'm going to help you."

"Great. Now he's talking to animals," Varric sighs.

"What are you going to name it, Cole?" Dorian calls back, glancing over his shoulder with a playful smirk.

Cole looks up from the cat, just enough that his wide blinking eyes are visible under his hat and mop of hair "It doesn't have a name."

"Yes, that's why you must give it one."

Cole glances down and back up and down again at the cat, runs his hand over the cat's drying fur. "What do you want to be called?" It offers a small meow and nuzzles its head against Cole's arm, eyes closed and content, purring. The Inquisitor stifles a giggles with her palm and notices Dorian's smile.

They listen to Cole talk to the cat the rest of the way back to camp.


End file.
